About Me

I am a mother, a teacher, and a nature lover. I grew up on a mountain we called Owls' Knob in the Ozarks of Arkansas. The first seven years of my life were spent living in a log cabin, far from a store or streetlight, without electricity or running water and after twenty years of travel, I returned to the abondoned homestead. Now I live on a hill by a small lake and work at a public garden. These are stories about nature written from a women deeply influenced by place.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Spring Buds

When the red buds bloom, it is a sign that spring is here for good. Their fushia flowers are unmistakable. However, during the same time, trees all across the Ozarks have buds of all kinds. Pollen pods and seeds appear on every limb tip, giving color and texture to the forest that has been barren for so long.

Red Bud Flowers

Buckeye Bud

Red Maple Seeds

White Oak

Elm

Silver Maple Seeds

Cherry

Once I began looking at the ends of every tree limb, I noticed seeds, pollen pods, and flowers that I had never taken the time to stop and inspect. Before the trees leaf out, the canopies take on color. This wash of misty colors becomes even more beautiful if you stop and examine the cause. Don't only stop to smell the flowers, but take some time to stop and look at all the other blooms on the limbs this season.